I thought maybe, since we've been discussing issues and the
organization of your Congressional activity, that maybe if you
could outline the committee assignments you have received since
you've been in the Congress and perhaps evaluate those, how
valuable they were relative to your own constituency and also
the broader city where you've run for mayor -- and also you
might point out those that were really of no value at all.

Koch:

When I first came down to Washington, I was put on
what I considered to be an atrocious committee. It was
Science and Astronautics, and it related basically to the
space program, and I really did not have the interest in it.
But I believe that there was no way of protesting. There were
people who did protest. For example, Shirley Chisholm, who
got onto the Agriculture Committee, protested -- and it was
dumb on her part. The Agriculture Committee happens to be
very important to the urban dwellers of the country and in
particular to the poor blacks who live in cities because they
deal with prices.